Driver charged with murder in fatal crash in Milford headed for trial

A driver charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal crash in Milford in 2011 is headed for trial in April.

Lindsay Corcoran Daily News Staff

WORCESTER – Despite talks of a potential plea change, a driver charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal crash in Milford in 2011 is headed for trial on April 3.

Nicolas Dutan Guaman, a 34-year-old illegal immigrant from Ecuador, is charged in the death of 23-year-old Matthew Denice of Milford.

"I'm glad. It looks like there is an end in sight," said Denice's mother, Maureen Maloney, following a quick court hearing on Friday. "Maybe we'll get to see justice done."

The case was on the docket Friday for a "change of plea," but he was not in Worcester Superior Court and no plea change was discussed by either his attorneys or the assistant district attorney trying the case."We, the family, are not entertaining a plea," said Maloney, who has said in the past she wants to see Guaman stand trial. "We strongly feel he's guilty of murder and want to see him tried and found guilty."Judge Janet Kenton-Walker ruled in November that Guaman, who received months of education on the American legal system, was competent to stand trial.Kenton-Walker had initially ruled after a four-hour competency hearing last April that Guaman was not competent since he could not understand the legal system. She had given a 60-day deadline to reassess his competency, but the process took longer due to Guaman's need for an interpreter.Guaman, who is in the county illegally, speaks only Quechua, a language indigenous to his home country of Ecuador, and requires an interpreter.Authorities allege that on Aug. 20, 2011 Guaman's pickup truck struck a motorcycle driven by Denice, 23, at Congress and Fayette streets. Despite bystanders banging on the pickup truck to alert Guaman, Denice was dragged for a quarter of a mile while trapped beneath the truck, police have said.Police said Guaman was driving drunk and had his 6-year-old son in the truck with him.Guaman, is also charged with manslaughter while driving a motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide while driving drunk, wanton or reckless behavior causing risk of serious bodily injury to a child, leaving the scene after a collision causing death, failing to stop for police and driving without a license, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's office.Maloney said on Friday that she was not aware of any further issues with competency that would delay the April date."Every hurdle so far has been a surprise," Maloney said.Outside of the court process, Maloney continues to fight against the bill that would grant licenses to illegal immigrants, a hearing on which is scheduled for Feb. 5."When did lawmakers determine that changing the law to accommodate those who break our laws are in the best interest of the commonwealth?" Maloney asked.She said while advocates say undocumented immigrants need to be able to safely transport their children to doctors' visits and themselves to work, she believes firmly that the current laws should be upheld."They should've thought of that before they came to this country illegally," Maloney said.Contact Lindsay Corcoran at 508-634-7582 or lcorcoran@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @LacorcMDN.